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Professor Michael Geist is someone I think about often. It could be from the writings on his blog or his words from his podcast, Law Bytes . With the CRTC spending its valuable time these days discussing with Canadian Radio, what qualifies and should qualify as Canadian Content, I thought now would be a good time to have him on the show to discuss some of the inner workings of their policy making. We explored the evolving landscape of Canadian media regulation and the challenges facing policymakers in the digital age. He highlighted how, for over two decades, both Conservative and more often Liberal governments have struggled to keep pace with the rapid changes brought by the internet, often lagging behind technology and failing to anticipate the real-world impact of new laws. We discussed the influence of lobby groups on legislation like Bill C-11 and C-18, which have shaped the way news and streaming content are regulated in Canada. Professor Geist pointed out that these laws often overlook the needs of end users and the realities of modern content distribution, leading to unintended consequences—such as the inability to share news on social platforms. The conversation also touched on the CRTC’s lack of direct radio experience and its tendency to prioritize traditional stakeholders over public interest. As AI becomes more prevalent in media, Geist suggested greater transparency would be an excellent start. Looking ahead, Geist emphasized the importance of keeping public interest at the heart of policy decisions, especially as new privacy and AI regulations are debated in Canada. You can see the full video of Michael Geist's appearance at the CRTC Hearing in 2023 here. Here is the raw recording of our conversation. Matt Cundill spoke to Michael Geist about some of the processes that go on at the CRTC.

Damian Rickards is a second generation radio broadcaster who has spent over 25 years navigating his way across the country through broadcasting. From his early days at Mix 99 to pioneering urban radio at Flow 93.5 in Toronto and Vibe 98.5 in Calgary, Rickards shares insider stories of radio's evolution. He discusses his journey through multiple markets, including Toronto, Calgary, and Ottawa, while highlighting the challenges of syndication and maintaining local relevance. Mr. D Radio also brings us into his current role at 91.5 The Beat, his innovative Tik/Tok and Instagram nostalgia quizzes, and his creative work on the podcast "New Sketches for Radio." With candid insights into radio programming, music trends, and the changing media landscape, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of a passionate broadcaster who has consistently been at the forefront of Canadian radio innovation. I spoke to Damian about his retro quizzes on social media. I never get these. I had my head buried in rock music charts since 1995. Here is the video from the recording.

Pat Moran is the host of Talking Buffalo , In this episode we emphasized the importance of credibility and trust in reporting. Moran highlights mistakes in sports media, such as a false report about Max Hairston's injury and a red helmet story, stressing the need for accuracy over speed. He also discusses the competitive landscape of sports media, the impact of national versus local coverage, and the benefits of networking and partnerships, including his experience with Blue Wire Network. Moran concludes with his optimistic outlook for the Buffalo Bills' 2025 season. Subscribe to Pat's Substack Talkin' Buffalo. Subscribe to Pat's YouTube Channel. Here are some of the posts and "Breaking News" that a few independent outlets ran with... quoting, "Sources". A pretty serious tweet claiming Max Hairston had an ACL injury. He did not have one. Trainwreck Sports initially reported that the Buffalo Bills were not bringing back their red helmets for the 2025 season, a report they later retracted, apologizing and celebrating the official announcement that the fan-favorite red helmets were indeed returning. Pre-season coverage is weird. By the way - the "over-the-air" traditional broadcasters got one badly wrong during a pre-season game between the Broncos and the Cardinals. All you need to know is Micah Parsons never said that and the person who tweeted it couldn't believe they fell for it either. Once again - this is what I think about video. It's here for search. I don't really want you watching it. I'd rather you listen to the show, save 7 minutes and do something smart with your eyes while your ears listen to the show.

Blubrry's CEO  Todd Cochrane is back once again this week, and this time he's got a new toy he's eager to share: The Thrive bundle , Blubrry's first major foray into AI integration for podcasters. We begin by going over what exactly the Thrive bundle offers its users, including various AI-powered tools to help podcasters with tasks like episode planning, production, social media clips, and email. For those who fear AI will run the world someday, worry not. Anyone who's used the current suite of online AI tools certainly knows they're not a replacement for human input by any means, and the Thrive bundle isn't trying to be. Todd explains that the AI tools are simply designed to streamline the podcast production workflow, giving users a jumping-off point to help create show notes, descriptions, and other metadata quickly. We do, however, touch on the valid concern that people may attempt to create fully AI-generated podcasts using voice data, or replace sections of their podcasts with AI voiceover and pretend they didn't. The Thrive bundle doesn't provide these tools to begin with, but Todd also emphasizes the importance of full disclosure to the audience whenever AI tools are integrated in any form, a sentiment we at The Sound Off Media Company fully agree with. We also discuss Blubrry's competition in the AI field, and what makes the Thrive bundle stand apart in a sea of rushed-to-market AI tools, from its price to its comprehensive toolkit. If you, like me, are growing tired of paying for 6 different AI assistants and using maybe 20% of each one, the Thrive bundle may be the option for you. We take a slightly different direction in the latter half of the episode, moving to the topic of podcast discovery. Google's AI integration for its search engine is already making it trickier to find correct information quickly (see the "put glue on your pizza" incident ), and Todd believes having a rich suite of metadata and SEO skills will continue to grow ever more important as time goes on. A Transcript and video version of the episode is available on the network page.

Todd Cochrane can speak to it because he was there in the early days. In 2004, he jumped into podcasting; long before Apple became involved. As time went on he began to find ways to make money at it, including an early sponsorship deal with GoDaddy, and creating the podcast hosting company that we know as Blubrry. We try to address two very large questions in this episode: Where is podcasting headed, and what will radio's role in it be? We tackle a number of the podcast news stories, asking if the RSS Feed is in jeopardy, what radio can do to best invest in podcast, and is iHeart really number one in podcasting? (Depends how you want to count) We also ask to explain the importance of IAB Certification and if Soundcloud is a legitimate podcast host. (Again, it depends how you want to count) Todd is the host of the New Media Show with Rob Greenlee (who appeared on our podcast back in August of 2017) , it airs live roughly every Saturday at Noon Eastern - but feel free to catch the podcast version or the video version on your own time. If you are looking for a podcast host with IAB certified metrics and web integration (and Todd explains why that's important in this episode) contact him here . Check out the latest episodes of the New Media Show here.

Greg Wasserman from RSS.com is on the show to talk podcasting. Having made his way through the media ad buying world, Greg spent some time selling for the CBS radio cluster in LA before hooking in to podcasting. We share some similar views when it comes to the importance of show packaging, including artwork and descriptions, to attract and retain listeners. We also talked about the shift from downloads to audience engagement across multiple platforms like YouTube. Then we talked about the new toys in the toy box at RSS.com . Like their new programmatic ad feature, which allows podcasters to monetize with as few as 10 downloads per month. Additionally, he mentions the potential of video podcasting through HLS and the significance of local and location tags for building hyper-local communities. Now before you bail on the show and think things like HLS is geeky and silly, ask yourself. Do you want to let YouTube house all your video or do you want some degree of control over it? Greg also shares his LinkedIn initiatives, Podcast Monday and Give Back Tuesday, aimed at discovering and supporting podcasts and job seekers. You can also watch the show here.

Romina Hakim is the owner of Red Lips Media. She is one of those creators who scores a hattrick in audio creation as her work extends from radio, to voiceover and to podcasting. We talked all three with the Argentinian, from successful radio host and podcast coach to her voiceover work as a Spanish voice for big brands. She highlights her move from Argentina to Barcelona, where she faced challenges adapting to the Castilian accent but eventually secured voiceover work with apps like calm.com . Romina talked about the importance of creativity, audience engagement, and authenticity in podcasting. And (my favourite part) the need for podcasters to understand their audience, experiment with formats, and leverage social media platforms like Reddit and Pinterest to grow their audience. Romina began her radio career after taking a DJ course, which led to her involvement in a small online radio show in Argentina. Discovering her passion for audio, she soon hosted her own radio show, focusing on music, culture, and promoting local artists. After moving to Barcelona, Romina joined a local radio station (107.3 FM), initially collaborating on a show before launching her own program, Red Lips, to spotlight Barcelona’s creative community. She eventually shifted her focus to podcasting and independent projects, seeking greater creative freedom and direct audience engagement beyond traditional radio formats.

When I spoke with Dave Sturgeon for this episode, I knew I was in for a a full radio autopsy. Dave’s career spans over four decades, and his journey is nothing short of remarkable. From his early days on-air in small-town Ontario to managing stations across North America, Dave has held a lot of the power positions in radio. What struck me most was his willingness to embrace change, whether it was moving from rock radio to talk, stepping into sales, or taking on management roles in both Canada and the U.S. Dave has now written a book called "The Truth About Radio". Today he is an ad-buyer at his company called Radio TV Agents LLC . From a birds eye perspective, one would say that he doesn't need to write the book. Afterall, why would an ad-buyer care? There's plenty of digital product for him to sell. But the truth is that his clients' don't get business unless radio is included in the campaign. And that's a story that needs to be told, and makes this mandatory reading for any broadcast general manager or sales manager. Dave’s story is a testament to the power of discovering what's next. He shared candidly about the personal and professional challenges he faced, including stepping away from radio for his family and then finding his way back, stronger and more passionate than ever. His transition into agency work and eventually launching his own company, Radio TV Agents , highlighted his entrepreneurial spirit and deep understanding of what makes radio effective. If you are in radio, you will love how we talked about the enduring power of radio. Despite the rise of digital media, Dave made a compelling case for why radio remains a foundational tool for advertisers. He debunked common myths about radio’s relevance and measurability, drawing on real-world results from his clients. His new book, "The Truth About Radio," is a must-read for anyone in media or advertising. This episode is a reminder that while technology evolves, the core of radio—connection, storytelling, and trust—remains as vital as ever. I left the conversation inspired by Dave’s optimism and his unwavering belief in the medium. If you’re passionate about audio, or just love a good story of resilience and innovation, this episode is for you. Dave is a very good LinkedIn Follow. Buy Dave's Book. - Canada Buy Dave's Book - USA

What is a podcast in 2025? We called in Rob Greenlee to provide insights into the evolving landscape of podcasting, focusing on the rise of video podcasting. He discusses how platforms like YouTube and Spotify are reshaping the industry, challenging traditional RSS-based distribution. We tried to land on the definition of a podcast, emphasizing content over distribution method. We talked metrics, monetization, and content creation for new podcasters. Rob highlighted the importance of personal branding and adapting to technological changes, including the potential impact of AI on media. The group debates the future of local podcasting and the difficulties creators face in generating revenue. Things are changing. Fast. ⁠⁠A full transcription of the episode is available on our website.⁠⁠ Check out more from the Superfriends below: Johnny Peterson - ⁠⁠⁠Johnny Podcasts⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.johnnypodcasts.com⁠⁠⁠ Catherine O’Brien - ⁠⁠⁠ Branch Out Programs ⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.branchoutprograms.com/⁠⁠⁠   Jon Gay: Jag in Detroit  ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.jagindetroit.com⁠⁠⁠ David Yas: Pod 617 - ⁠⁠⁠ The Boston Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.pod617.com/⁠⁠⁠ Matt Cundill - ⁠⁠⁠The Sound Off Media Company⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠ https://soundoff.network⁠⁠⁠   We talked a lot about video - so it only makes sense that we put the video here. One of the things I did want explained was HLS. I have no idea what that is. But Justin Jackson, owner of Transistor.FM wrote a great piece about its importance. You can read it here. It provides a really good explaination about the future of video in podcasts and debunks the myth that I perpetuated that video can be cumbersome to download and stream.

When it was announced at Podcast Movement last year that Paul Riismandel would become the new President of Signal Hill Insights , it marked the beginning of a well-earned transition for Jeff Vidler—stepping back from the day-to-day grind and moving towards retirement. But if you’ve ever met Jeff, you know that word retirement  doesn't quite mean retiring. Musicians never stop being musicians. Writers never stop writing. And researchers? Their minds never stop asking why . Jeff Vidler may be easing away from leading a research company, but his curiosity remains fully engaged—especially when it comes to audio. Jeff has been a familiar voice on this podcast before, helping us unpack the numbers and trends behind podcasting, radio, and listener behaviour. But we’ve never gone back to the beginning—until now. In this episode, we trace Jeff’s journey through the ever-evolving world of audio. Starting in the 1980s, he worked at legendary radio stations like CKDA and Calgary’s CJAY 92. He transitioned to Joint Communications, where his programming instincts helped define music formats across Canada. At CJFM in Montreal, he led a successful ratings turnaround and rebranded the station as Mix96. Eventually, Jeff co-founded Audience Insights, and later, Signal Hill Insights—two firms that have shaped the way we understand audio audiences today. And yes, we looked to the future too. We talked about the growing role YouTube is playing in podcast discovery, and the ongoing challenges Canadian podcasters face in securing ad revenue in a smaller market. We didn’t solve every problem—but we solved a few. Jeff’s story is one of curiosity. It’s a reminder that even when you step back, you never really step away—not when your passion is asking the next big question. Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter.  Full of all the verbal diarrhea you never knew what you were missing in your life. I have also connected a domain to the newsletter for no reason other than I feel the need to be cool.